Minister’s Message

Praise be to Allah the lord of the worlds, I shall pray and submit for the most honored prophet and messenger, our prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, his family, and his companions and followers. Since cooperation among the followers of different faiths is necessary to minimize religious extremism on one

The people of Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia are all Muslims. Alongside the special status of Arabia; Islam is the only religion to be followed in Arabia according to Prophet Muhammad tradition Arabia has only one religion.

If we supposed that Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has allowed other religion to establish their worshiping places on its land, this would cause great outbreak in the Islamic World because all Muslims believe that Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the shelter of Islam.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia does not deny other religions followers their rights to practice their rituals in private.

This does not contradict with the principle of tolerance because tolerance is related to the verse of To you is your religion, and to me is my religion” and “there is no compulsion in religion”. The religious special status of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia should be respected.

2. Religious Minorities; Forbidding Jews from Entering KSA

There is no religious minorities in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; all people of the Kingdom are Muslims. As for the case of not allowing Jews to enter Saudi Arabia, it is not because of religion, it is a political case.

This decision is made upon what Israel does with Muslims in general and Palestinians in particular, Jews who do not carry Israel passport are allowed to enter Arabia as visitors not as settlers.

Concerning the religious ideologies in of Saudi Arabia, the legal ideology of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is Sunni Salafi Islam followed by majority of Muslims everywhere.

However, all rights are reserved to non-Sunni in Saudi Arabia.

3. Non-Muslims Visits to Holy Shrines (Makkah – Madinah)

Makkah and Madinah have a special place among Muslims because of their special religious status.

Makkah has the Holy Mosque, Ka`bah and holy rituals of Hajj. Also, in Madinah, the Prophet Mosque is located. There is no Muslim, whether illiterate or scholar, who can imagine that it is permissible fo on-Muslims to enter these two holy shrines. Other mosques can be entered by non-Muslims if needed or for benefit of knowing Islam.

4. Wahhabism and Declaring others as Non-Muslim

This claim is due to ignorance of the principles of Muslim believers.

The criticizers based their arguments on misleading information. Criticizing a person or a group of people based on disinformation is not the right way of truth seekers.

To seek for truth means that you should avoid any bias in judging others.

The leaders of reform in the Muslim community cannot be related to declaring other sects of Islam as non-Muslim.

They make distinction between judging action or saying and judging the doer or sayer.

The principle of declaring others as non-Muslim in Shari`ah (Islamic Law) is related to matters of names and judgments which are the right of God only.

When declaring somebody as non-Muslim, this person has to meet the conditions put by God for that. The judgment is issued only by court and not the right of individuals.

In all jurisprudence books of all Islamic legal schools, there is a chapter dedicated for this subject named (Apostasy).

In this chapter, there are details of the conditions to declare a person as a disbeliever.

There are some extreme ideologies that are not considered by Saudi scholars.

This means that declaring others as non-Muslims is not the right of all people; it’s restricted to well-established scholars through authorized courts. Unfortunately, the enemies of Islam made this subject a pretext to attack the reforming movement led by Imam Muhammad Bin Abdul -Wahhab.

They stormed this movement with accusations of declaring others as non-Muslim through different methods.

5. Disagreement between Sunnis and Shiites

The Muslim community is divided into many sects. The dogmatic disagreements between Sunnis and Shiites are fully discussed in a book titled as Akaed” or “Dogmas”. Nevertheless, it is logic to live in peace with each other to unite Muslims and avoid evils of disunity.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia adopts the approach of coexistence between different sects in the Kingdom.

6. Islamic Prospective on Usury (Riba) and Banking Interests

Riba is forbidden in Islam and other monotheistic religions as it includes injustice and gaining peoples’ money untruthfully.

Islam permits many forms of commercial transactions, including selling, renting and etc. All these forms mentioned in books of Shari`ah scholars.

The world financial crisis, in 2008, proved the dangerous of Riba and other selling forms prohibited in Shari`ah.

Moreover, Vatican Pope advised western banks to get benefit from Islamic banks.

7. Islamic Curricula in KSA and the Efforts Done by the Kingdom to Review It

Islamic curricula in Saudi schools have been subject to reviewing, improving and developing processes like other educational curricula, to serve the Kingdom interests, provide society requirements and protect the society from evil acts. After September 11 events, western media focused on Islamic curricula in KSA and it is one reason of exaggeration.

However, when reviewing curricula by specialized authorities in KSA, it concluded that there is nothing of what media spoke about. Moreover, after preparation of studies and setting up committees to review all Islamic curricula, it concluded that the curricula are suitable, but there is a little percent of curricula including statements that may be understood wrongly.

Nevertheless, these points were modified and explained.

8. Islamic Prospective on Moderation and Salaf Concept

Salafia is a method of following what the prophet Muhammad – Peace be upon him – our predecessors did without increase or decrease.

It means achieving the complete monotheism to God, freeing the creation from worship anyone but God and freeing the brain from illusions and superstitions.

So there is no one deserving the worship but God, including prophets and angles.

Salafia doesn’t make a mediator between man and his God.

In Salafia, there is no infallibility to anyone but prophets – peace be upon them. In addition, the speeches of everyone can be accepted or rejected in according to what was mentioned in Qur’an or Sunnah.

Salafia doesn’t charge the people with additional worships except that mentioned in Qur’an and Sunnah.

There is no heterodoxy in Islam by creating new worships and habits in the name of religion.

At the same time, Salafia is calling for the whole obligatory of Shari`ah in political, economical, social and judicial fields, and in accordance with the circumstances of time. So, Shari`ah is suitable for every time and place.

Moreover, Salafia rejection to radicalism and terrorism is one of its principles. KSA scholars have been rejecting terrorism in all of its forms, including explosion, kidnapping and perfidy.

This fatwa is clear evidence that they have no relation with terrorism and terrorists. It is not fair to describe anyone calling for Islam and applying Shar`iah as extremist, terrorist, or other words repeated by the enemy of Islam in order to spread hatred against Islam and Muslims.

9. Islamic prospective on Consultation and Democracy

Islam has established consultation principle among its followers. God says “take counsel of them in the command”.

However, Islam has confirmed that the leader is the decision maker.

He has to hear the opinions and choose the best one suitable for his country and people.

God says “yet when you are resolved, then put your trust in God”.

Consultation is related to issues which are not decisively resolved in Qur’an and Sunnah as well as life affairs and public interests.

The consultation is thus an independent opinion that may be right or wrong. Absolute truth Is only matters that God or the Prophets told about in the Qur`an and Sunnah.

10. Foreign Presence in KSA

If this question intends to the presence of non-Saudis in KSA, we can say that they are welcomed for mutual interests.

They participate in developing the country, particularly in the fields of specialization that lack of well qualified Saudis. Their rights are protected.

The kingdom is still the dream for individuals and companies, simply because it is enjoy security and stability resulting from its performance of justice, care of rights and adhere to Islamic Shar`iah.

11. Destruction of Islamic Archaeologies

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia does its best to expand The Two Holy Mosques to enable Muslims to do their rituals in safety, faithfulness and peace.

It takes care of Islamic archaeologies and doesn’t destroy anything that has historical or religious importance.

The new buildings are an important necessity to have the capacity for the increasing number of the Holy Mosque visitors. The Saudi government is knocking all doors that serving the Holy Mosque.

12. Women’s Work

In Islamic system, there are rights and duties. While the woman enjoys her rights, she has to do her duties. Among these duties, her main role as a wife and mother.

However, she has the right to work and go out with no conflict to her duties, as a wife and mother. As for children guardianship in Islamic Shar`iah, the woman has right to nurse her child until he reaches the age of seven.

After that, the judge decides whether father or mother has the right of guardianship in accordance with child interests.

13. New Projects within the Holy Mosque and Specialization a Place for Women

The government of Saudi Arabia pays more attention to new projects of the Holy Mosque.

Moreover, the King is following theses projects in person; on the basis of what God honors him to serve Holy Mosque and the Prophetic Mosque. His compliance towards these projects came from his faith and responsibility.

The Muslims are still praising these great achievements and big projects, aiming to spread safety and enabling visitors to perform their rituals in comfortable and peaceful way.

As for expansion of Haram Area, this project came from the urgent necessity to include the increasing number of pilgrims. Scholars of Muslim world agreed on this expansion.

In season 2009, pilgrims felt this difference; the new expansion facilitated the movement of pilgrims and was able to contain these huge numbers. As for specializing a place for women, it aims at achieving comfort, safety and reverence for them.

14. Islamic Perspective on the Fate of Non-Muslims after Death

God is the only who decides the fate of non-Muslims in the Day of Judgment in accordance with whether they follow their prophets(PBUT).

God showed in the Qur’an that the religion He (God) satisfied to his creations is Islam.

God says “surely the religion in providence of God is Islam”.

In addition, the prophet Muhammad-peace be upon him- is the last prophet sent for all mankind.

Scholars of Muslim world agreed that the worship of any religion but Islam is not acceptable. But it doesn’t mean contempt the followers of other religions.

15. Islamic perspective on Freedom of Expression

Islam is a religion of moderation. However, the intellectual freedom of an individual or group ends at the beginning of other rights.

It is not permit to insult God, Prophets or religious characters in the name of intellectual freedom. In addition, insulting others with drawing cartoons or other forms is not freedom; it is just a form of and impoliteness.

16. Beheadings, amputations, and floggings as punishments

There is a debate about capital punishment in the world.

In Saudi Arabia, capital punishment is a part of Islamic law, and we, in Saudi Arabia, believe that our low crime rates demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach.

In fact, the Kingdom has one of the lowest crime rates in the world.There are strict conditions for such punishments, to the extent that they are rarely inflicted. So, they work as a deterrence more than actual punishments.

17. We are hearing Saudi Arabia is a breeding ground for terrorism.

No, it is not. Saudi Arabia does not support or contribute to terrorism.

We never have and we never will. Terrorism is against our religion and culture, and we have been victims of it for the past four decades.

But, all societies have extremists and we are no exception. We try to balance the right of people to follow their beliefs with the necessity to be watchful for those who are dangerous to society.

Our society breeds tolerance, not terrorism, and we are very serious about controlling extremism.

We are fighting it on the legal front, on the military front, on the educational front, on the financial front and on the social front. We will prevail against terror.

What we have not done very well is be more outspoken about what we are doing against terrorism.

We tend to be a conservative and quiet people, and in the past we only shared information with othe ations’ intelligence services or law enforcement agencies. We have kept quiet about our arrests, our investigations, our border patrols, and our weapons seizures. We are no longer quiet; we are public about our war on terror.

18. Why is there no separation of religion from State

Islam is embedded in Saudi Arabia, and there is complete unanimity that Islam should remain woven throughout our society.

Secularism is simply not an issue in our country.

The notion that democracy must be based on secularism is a relatively new idea in world history and a very western concept.

The reforms we are engaged in will be founded on an Islamic moral framework.

19. Is it permitted to name people of scriptures (Ahlu ALKitab) with whom we have a covenant as our brothers in God?

Only those who believe in the religion can be named as brothers in God, however the three revealed religions have common grounds. As for the people with whom we have a covenant, we have to honor our promises and respect our covenants with them that make it necessary to deal with them equally and righteously and never give them bad names.

They are our friends and partners.

20. What about other available languages for the site?

Other six languages are planned to be available besides Arabic and English. In the next two years French and spinach will be added.

21. Why don’t give women the right for voting and driving?

Actually, it is related to the Saudi social and political circumstances. It is known that woman in all over the world was gradually given her right to vote.

The first time for Saudi Arabia to run elections was only since 2005. So, It is still new experiment that we fear woman`s vote can be manipulated.

As for driving license, it is not currently allowed only due to the country`s customs, mostly important however is that women enjoy the right to work and commute but within Islamic rules.

22. What about Islamic banks and interest?

The main idea is that banks` role should not be confined to financing but take also the risk of loss and profit.

For further information about that topic you can benefit from any of several writings discussing this topic.